In addition to developing power plants rooted in the region in which they are built, through 1% for Community® *1 and other such projects that feed the benefit of hosting a power plant back to the local community Shizen Energy works to support local businesses that aim to stimulate and build local industry and resolve issues faced by society.

*1 1% for Community® collectively refers to projects undertaken by the Shizen Energy Group to feed the benefit of hosting a power plant back to regions in which they are located. Details vary for each project.

The Koshi Agriculture Energy Project - Support for the Protection and Growth of Regional Agriculture -

The Koshi Agriculture Energy Project is an initiative to feed back, for the purpose of developing agriculture in the city of Koshi in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture, some of the dividends and income from electricity sales from the Koshi Agriculture Energy Project Photovoltaic Power Plant that was developed by Shizen Energy and completed in March 2014 after construction led by a limited liability company established by the three parties of the Shizen Energy Group member Shizen Energy Farm Inc., a local company from Koshi called Kumamoto Flour Milling Co., Ltd., and the Koshi city government.

The Karatsu Minato Wind Power Plant Project was given the green light in January 2016 by the Karatsu City Council for Rural Village Revitalization by Promoting Renewable Energy, and involves the construction of a one unit wind power plant with a capacity of approximately 2MW on farmland in Saga Prefecture's Karatsu City based on the Basic Plan regarding Revitalization of Rural Villages by Promoting Power Generation through Renewable Energy Harmonized with Sound Development of Agricultural Forestry Industries and Fisheries that was submitted to Karatsu City. It started commercial operation in February 2018 and the plan calls for a return of 1% of revenue from sales of electricity generated for the sustaining of local agriculture and future-focused support for agricultural activities in the region.

Karatsu City Minato Wind Power Plant (foreground)

Shizen Foundation - Supporting Regional Projects for Social Reform -

The Shizen Foundation is a product of Shizen Energy Inc.’s 1% for Community® initiative and provides a platform to support region-led social reform.

As well as being an initiative to utilize revenue from power plants owned by the Shizen Energy Group for the development of the regions in which power plants are located, the Shizen Foundation was founded in 2016 in order to gather funding and provide support for businesses and other parties tackling regional issues over a wide area, and it is now expanding the scope of its activities.

Shizen Foundation Initiatives

Through the provision of funding and a network of nationwide businesses and government bodies built up by the Shizen Energy Group, this foundation aims to provide support for the growth of organizations carrying out social projects and expand their social impact. Whereas traditional investment has the concept of an “exit” which refers to financial returns through IPOs and sales, this foundation instead takes a different approach and identifies businesses and organizations who bring about systemic change (change in which region-led initiatives grow and have an impact on social systems an policy) and provides support for the realization of such change.

Why we undertake our initiatives

As well as energy issues, Japan faces a wide range of other issues as well. In order to set up renewable energy power plants in areas all around Japan, we have always made the effort to actually visit these locations and see for ourselves the unique issues that regions face. At the same time, we have also encountered organizations and companies that have taken on the challenge of resolving these issues.

The Shizen Foundation also shares the Shizen Energy Group’s vision of changing the world with energy. With the shared aim of creating a sustainable world, the Shizen Energy Group works on initiatives with energy in the form of electricity while the Shizen Foundation works with energy in the form of people and new challenges.

By leveraging the knowledge and community connections that the Shizen Energy Group has around Japan, we believe that we can provide support to those who take on the challenge of resolving social issues from our own unique perspective.

Subsidies and funding provided by the Shizen Foundation so far

▪ Keio University EBA Minamata International Training Program

An international training program held by Keio University based on fieldwork in Kumamoto Prefecture’s Minamata City for ASEAN students that aims to develop future leaders in the field of the environment.

A venture focusing on Kyushu which has strong local connections and uses idle facilities to bring tutoring schools to depopulated areas and other such areas that have no major tutoring schools with the aim of rejuvenating these areas through education.

Blearnch cram school, run by Colab Planet

Corporate Information

Name: Shizen Foundation

Address: 1-1-6 Arato, Chuo-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture

Representative Directors: Ken Isono, Kenji Kawado, Masaya Hasegawa

Inquiries: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.